Device for guiding the shuttles in circular weaving looms



H. PELCE Fild June 20, 1940 X A... 1M L v a 1| 4 .m 7 2 a e a 1 III. 8.Z $5225.: O a m: m 5 2 7 A. 2 h 3 5 w d oa 2 Wu 2 Q h F July 8, 1941.

DEVICE FOR GUIDING THE SHUTTLES IN CIRCULAR WEAVING LOOMS Patented July8, 1941 DEVICE FOR GUIDING THE SHUTTLES IN CIRCULAR WEAVING LOOMS HenriPelc, Flixecourt, France, assignor to Societ dite: Saint Freres, SocitAnonyme,

Paris,- France Application June 20, 1940, Serial No. 341,57 In FranceJuly 18, 1939 7 Claims.

The present invention has for object a particular arrangement of thesliding track for the shuttles in circular weaving looms; in particularinthose of the type in which the warp threads are fed at right angles orapproximately at right angles to the loom.

It is known that in circular looms, the guiding of th shuttles in theircircular and continuous movement must be ensured as positively and asaccurately as possible (contrarily to rectilinear looms having areciprocating movement in which the shuttle-is thrown and in which it isonly slightly guided along its path). It is also known that said guidingmust necessarily be devised in such a manner that it does not hinder thebeating and crossing of the warp threads, and so that the latter cannotbe damaged or cut.

In looms of the type considered, said guiding is usually ensured bymeans of one or more circular members the cross-section of which throughany radial plane passing through the axis of the 100m, presents one ormore recesses of T or dove-tail shape, or of any other shape suchthatthe shoes or rails rigid with the shuttles, and which circulate in saidrecesses, cannot escape therefrom. These members are moreover providedwith notches or slots, allowing the passage of the warp threads, theircrossing in the interval between the passage of the shuttles, and theirwithdrawal from the passage of the latter. Said members are alsosometimes constituted by cut out plates or blades; they have the samegeneral arrangement and produce the same effects.

These devices which, when they are well constructed, can ensuresatisfactory guiding of the shuttles, have on the contrary, a seriousinconvenience of which the warp threads suffer the consequences. Infact, experience has shown that, in looms of the type in question, it ispractically impossible to prevent each warp thread from moving away moreor less greatly from the radial or approximately radial plane providedfor its displacement, during its beating movement. This results from thefact that said thread, unable to be held positively throughout itslength, is urged, by various phenomena such as: slight differences oftension, vibrations, inertia of the thread compelling it to incurve,etc.; moreover, a slight angular displacement of the fabric often occurswhich produces a corresponding displacement of the Warp threads;finally, in looms in which cams secured to the shuttles participate inopening the shed, there is, at right angles to said cams, a slightdisplacement of the threads in the direction in which the shuttlesadvance. 1

Now, in the case of the displacement of the warp threads outside theradial plane in which their beating movement must normally take place,with the previously mentioned guiding devices, it sometimes happens thatthe threads thus displaced catch in said guiding members and cannotsuitably withdraw; they are then on the path of the shoes or rails rigidwith the shuttles which circulate at high speed and they are out uponpassage of said shuttles, which rapidly reduces the production of theloom and is prejudicial to the quality of the fabric obtained.

The device according to the present invention is adapted to remedy theseinconveniences, Whilst ensuring the perfect guiding of the shuttles; itis mainly characterised by the fact that the shoes of the shuttles slidebetween two series of pins of suitable shape arranged according to thegeneratrices of a cylinder co-axial with the m, by taking a bearing onthe end of said pins which hold them in the plane provided for theircirculation and prevent them from movin towards the interior of theloom.

On the other, hand, according to a second feature of the invention aseries of pins arranged according to a cylinder having the same axis asthe preceding one, but of slightly greater diameter,.prevents theshuttles from moving towards the exterior of the loom; they receive andannul the effect of centrifugal force when the shuttles are inoperation.

The accompanying drawing shows by way of example simply as an indicationand not in a limiting sense a method of carrying out the presentinvention.

Fig. 1 is a plan view.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view.

Figs. 3 and 4 show, on an enlarged scale, two

modifications.

Rings I and 2, concentric with the axis of the loom and serving asframe, carry the pins 3 and 4 of suitable shape which ensure the supportand lateral guiding of the shuttles. Said pins have their end 5 or 6rounded so that the warp threads can never take a bearing thereon, evenwhen they are deviated from their initial direction; said threads are infact compelled to fall either on one side or on the other of the pin.

Another very advantageous result of this arrangement is that certainweaving mishaps, such as the simultaneous drawing along of severalthreads by a shuttle, for instance after a thread has been broken, donot determine serious disturbances, whereas in the other systems, thejamming of the shuttles can sometimes result therefrom involvingimportant mechanical damages.

Practice allows of determining the shape and the dimensions of the pins3 and 4, the best suited to the nature, coarseness, tension, elasticity,speed and number of the threads as well as the number and the positionof said pins. They are preferably made of hard steel, tempered andpolished, for facilitating the sliding of the threads.

The cylindrical pins 1, which are also preferably made of tempered andpolished steel and which are arranged according to the generatrices of acylindrical surface, serve as a bearing for the outer face of thesliding shoes 8 and 9 of the shuttle [9, which are made of hard wood orcompressed wood, or of a material having similar properties.

The friction of the shuttle shoes on the pins 1, which occurs along ageneratrix of each of the latter, causes less wear of the shoes than thefriction on plates or other members having sharp edges of known type.

Furthermore, this system offers the advantage of great constructionalsimplicity, in particular in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and2, in which the pins 1 serve at the same time as staymembers for theannular members I and 2.

In another embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3, the upper loop I can beconstructed in two parts so as to facilitate both the taking up of thewear and the dismantling of the shuttles. Two loops la and lb fitted andsecured together respectively carry the pins 3 and the pins 1. wedge l Iallows of lowering the pins 3 at will in proportion as they or theshuttle shoes wear. A warp classifying comb I2 can eventually beprovided.

After having ensured the bracing of members I and 2, or i b and 2 byanother means, for instance by using the classifying comb [2, the pins 1can also be rotatively mounted on their axis, for instance on ballbearings, without departing from the invention. This arrangement isparticularly advantageous in certain looms in which the small number ofthreads allows of giving the pins 1 a diameter sufficient for them to bedrawn along by the shuttle shoes, so as to convert all or part of thesliding friction into rolling friction.

Some of the ins 3 and 4 can be arranged to serve at the same tim aslubricating members, by placing lubricant on the shuttle shoes at theplace Where the latter rub against the pins.

In some particular cases the criterion of which will be the nature,coarseness and resistance to crushing of the warp threads, withoutdeparting from the invention, rings l3 (Fig. 4) can be provided,preferably made of rubber, cork, leather or other resilient material, onthe upper and lower hoops so that thewarp threads l4 come in contactwith said rings and, that, if need be, as illustrated in Fig. 4, theyare clamped between the shoes and said resilient rings; said rings canthen procure one or the other of the following advantages, or bothsimultaneously:

1. Keep the threads closer-to the line of formation of the fabric.

An adjustable Y 2. Support all or part of the vertical stresses whichurge the shuttles, by relieving to the same extent the pins 3 and 4.

When this arrangement is used, it may be advantageous, when the warpthreads allow so, to arrange along the upper and lower faces of theshuttle shoes, approximately in the plane y (Fig. 4), rollers projectingfrom said shoes and the rolling movement of which on the rings I3 andthreads M will replace the friction of the shoes on the same elements.

I claim:

1. In a circular weaving loom a guiding track for the shuttle-carriercomprising two fixed rings placed one above the other, an outer seriesof cylindrical vertical pins the two ends of which are respectivelymounted in said rings, and two inner series of short cylindrical pinsrespectively secured to both rings, the short pins of one of said seriesextending downwardly from the upper ring and those of the other seriesextending upwardly from the lower ring, in combination with ashuttle-carrier having a shoe adapted to slide between said outer andinner rows of pins by pressing against the outer pins under the actionof centrifugal force and by resting on the ends of the short lower pins.

2. In a circular weaving loom a guiding track for the shuttle-carrier asclaimed in claim 1, the outer pins of which are mounted in the two fixedrings so as to freely rotate on themselves.

3. In a circular weaving loom a guiding track for the shuttle-carrier asclaimed in claim 1, the upper ring of which comprises two annularelements adjustably assembled relatively to each other in the verticaldirection, the outer pins being mounted on one of said annular elementsand the short upper pins being mounted on the secend of said elements.

4. In a circular Weaving loom a guiding track for the shuttle-carrier asclaimed in claim 1, in which some of the short upper pins are providedwith lubricating means adapted to bring a lubricant on to the frictionparts of. the shuttlecarrier. 7

5. In acircular weaving loom a guiding track for the shuttle carrier asclaimed in claim 1, in which said shoe of the shuttle has a T-shapedcross-section the sole of which is adapted to slide on said outer pinsat the opposite side on which is guided by said short inner pins and bythe heads of said inner pins, the heads of these inner pins being forthat purpose rounded.

6. In a circular weaving loom a guiding track for the shuttle carrier asclaimed in claim 1, in which said outer pins are rotatably mounted onsaid fixed rings, in combination with a warp classifying comb arrangedon the external side of said rotating pins.

'7. In a circular weaving loom, a guiding track for the shuttle carrieras claimed in claim 1, in which a ring or elastic material is providedfor on the internal face of said fixed rings, between said outer pinsand said short inner pins.

HENRI PELcE'.

